Jon Martyn
John Martyn died yesterday. There’s a newspaper obit. here. He was the classic tragic genius. He never really lived up to the promise of Solid Air and May You Never but I think I would have been happy as a musician if that is all I had managed. He belonged to my youth, just as surely as Kevin Coyne (his obit’s here). I saw them both on the student circuit in the early 1970s. Coyne, I’m sure, appeared at Harrow Tech. (now part of Westminster University, if you please). I don’t remember where I saw Martyn, but his performance was unforgettable. He was in his prime in those days, I suppose, but he was one of many acts I saw that seemed destined to go on and hit the big time. Well, he didn’t, and now he’s gone, but those who saw or heard him won’t forget the thrill of the performance and the thrill of the promise.
Leave a Reply